Apparatus for feeding documents to and from a copier

Abstract

A system wherein documents are presented to a platen of a xerographic system includes a housing in which a rack for storing documents is located. The rack includes a plurality of pockets in each of which a document may be stored, the rack being movable in a vertical direction so that any one of its pockets may be aligned with an opening in the housing. A document handler resting on the platen and having a fluidically lubricated platform is used to feed documents placed on the platform through the opening and into pockets of the rack. The document handler cooperates with the platen to provide a rectangular document pocket and documents in the rack may be shuttled to and from the document pocket. Fluid streams are used to initiate movement of a document being shuttled. Documents moved to the platen are orthogonally registered with a pair of walls of the document pocket, and copies of the registered documents may be made by the xerographic system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Apparatus for posing documents on a transparent plate, comprising: a. a rack having a plurality of pockets with aligned openings;   b. means for moving any pocket of the rack to a first location and to a second location;   c. fluidic means for drawing a document into any pocket stationed at said first location;   d. fluidic means for selectively ejecting or drawing into any pocket stationed at said second location a document; and   e. a document handler including means for feeding a document to any pocket located at said first location, and means cooperating with the plate for moving a document ejected from a pocket at the second location onto the plate and for feeding a document on the plate to said pocket at the second location, said means for feeding a document to any pocket located at said first location including an inclined platform, a gate located adjacent the bottom end of the inclined platform, and means for lubricating the top surface of the inclined platform, whereby documents placed on the platform slide towards said bottom end.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said rack includes a plurality of groups of holes, each group communicating with one of the pockets; wherein said fluidic means for drawing a document into any pocket stationed at said first location includes a pump for drawing fluid from a pocket at the first location through its corresponding group of holes; and wherein said fluidic means for selectively ejecting or drawing into any pocket stationed at said second location a document includes a reversible pump for drawing or injecting fluid through a group of holes associated with a pocket stationed at said second location. 
     
     
       3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for moving any pocket of the rack to a first location and to a second location can move any pocket of the rack to a third location and further including fluidic means for ejecting a document from any pocket stationed at said third location. 
     
     
       4. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means for lubricating includes an array of holes on the platform and means for forcing fluid upwardly through said array of holes to provide a fluid bearing for documents placed on the top surface of the platform. 
     
     
       5. Apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein said means for feeding a document includes a roller arrangement for driving documents located at the bottom end of the platform to any pocket located at said first location. 
     
     
       6. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means cooperating with the plate includes a structure disposed above the plate, a recessed region defined in the portion of the structure adjacent the plate, said recessed region providing a pocket over the plate and means for injecting fluid into the pocket over the plate to move a document therein towards a pocket at the second location. 
     
     
       7. Apparatus as defined in claim 6, further including a roller arrangement for engaging a document moved by the injected fluid and feeding the document to a pocket at the second location. 
     
     
       8. Apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including means for moving the document handler out of cooperation with the plate. 
     
     
       9. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means cooperating with the plate includes a structure disposed above the plate, a recessed region defined in the portion of the structure adjacent the plate, said recessed region providing a pocket over the plate having a pair of orthogonally related surfaces and fluidic apparatus for biasing a document in the pocket over the plate against said surfaces.